The Trustee Senate will look at the challenges scheme Trustees face and ask how they can best address some of these challenges. It will also explore what the future is likely to hold for Trustees and assess the common themes emerging.

This webinar will look at the issue of mental health wellbeing in the workplace – asking the steps employers can take to improve the mental health of their employees; and looking at how things such as early intervention strategies can help.

The US equity investment environment has gradually shifted from active management to passive investing in both institutional and retail channels in recent years.

The US Large Cap Core Strategy provides exposure to quality US companies with sustainable competitive advantages and the ability to generate significant cash flow. We look for the best companies, at the right valuation, and hold for the long-term.

This new paper examines the increased focus on Responsible Investment in all its various forms, and reflects the growing awareness from investors globally that non-financial risks may have a meaningful impact on long-term financial performance.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to Responsible Investment, including the main approaches and the investor landscape.

Australian superannuation fund UniSuper has been awarded an investment stewardship award by the Melbourne Financial Services Symposium.

UniSuper was recognized for its strong investment performance and its advanced investment practices, according to a release by the fund.

UniSuper chief investment officer David St. John said: "At UniSuper, we have an investment philosophy that every basis point counts. We believe that everything we do - from setting our strategic asset allocations, to the more operational aspects of running the fund - can add value for our members. And at every level, we seek to deliver competitive risk-adjusted returns to our members."

UK - Scheme buy-in launch

Barnett Waddingham and MetLife Assurance have formed a strategic alliance to offer a buy-out arrangement specifically designed for smaller pension schemes.

The service will target schemes with liabilities as low as £5m.

Barnett Waddingham has been appointed to advise on the pension risk transfer process.

The companies said the partnership aimed to speed up the key aspects of the process for smaller schemes and to contain costs.

Barnett Waddingham said it would be able to produce indicative quotations based on MetLife Assurance pricing in a matter of days.

The companies also said if a pension scheme was looking to secure smaller liabilities - particularly where these are less than £20m - this arrangement offered an expedited process, greater certainty and access to a competitive offer.

The lobby group's Sovereign Wealth Funds 2009 report found an additional $5.5trn was held in other sovereign investment vehicles, including pension reserve funds, development funds and state-owned corporation's funds.

This comes despite the losses suffered by sovereign wealth funds on certain investments during the last year, which have been offset by inflows of new funds.

The author of the report explained: "About two thirds of the $5.5trn in other sovereign investment vehicles' assets were held in public pensions.

"These are funds that have been set aside by governments, sometimes through social security institutions in countries such as US, Japan, Norway and Sweden, to finance future payouts on pay-as-you-go pensions."

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) is consulting on changes to the actuarial assumptions it uses in valuations in a bid to better reflect the bulk annuity market, with schemes set to move into surplus on aggregate.